The lawn is a carpet of lush green. Your landscaping islands, filled with beautiful blooms, are neatly edged. Even the gutters are clean and the driveway resealed.

As you head to the back yard to relax with a cool drink, you realize what you have forgotten — the deck.

Not to worry. Today’s decks need the same basic upkeep, whether they are constructed of cedar or pine softwoods, exotic hardwoods or the newly engineered sawdust and recycled plastic composite timbers.

Take care of procrastinated repairs and much-needed re-coating of your deck by using this hit-list.

Swabbing the deck

“Not only is cleaning a dramatic visual improvement, but removing years of built-up dirt and debris helps the wood sealant do its job,” said Marlena Smith, a spokeswoman for Weyerhaeuser CedarOne in Seattle.

“Even the composite decks are not maintenance-free,” said Willy Giacobbe, a self-employed deck-cleaning expert serving DuPage County for 15 years. “You always will have some maintenance, and you should pressure-wash decks.”

To de-gunk grease spots, use a water-rinseable automotive degreaser or carburetor cleaner. Pitch stains or crystallized sap forming around knots of Southern, White and Ponderosa Pine boards can be removed with turpentine without harming the existing sealant. Or carefully scrape them off.

Pressure-washing the surface with easy-to-apply deck wash products found on the market will give your deck a clean start.

Let the wood dry out for a day before moving on.

Seal the deal

“What I see most in decking materials needs to be sealed or stained with tung oil,” Giacobbe said. “That’s the best sealing, because it soaks in and doesn’t set on top of the wood. It protects wood from ‘checking’ or splitting.”

Perform a “splash test” after washing and before putting down a maintenance coat. Splash water on several parts of the deck. If it beads up or is not absorbed within 15 minutes, the surface will not absorb a sealant. Sand the wood.

Before moving ahead, be aware that new deck wood has a “mill glaze” that must be thoroughly sanded to break it down and allow sealer to soak in. Otherwise, the coating will prematurely fail.

Also, some deck materials may need to be left to weather for a few weeks after cleaning to ensure wood pores have opened up to accept the sealer. A repeated “splash test” will tell.

Proceed with staining and sealing any flat or floor area with a China bristle decking brush in hand. It holds the stain well and applies the oil so it can get into the wood and penetrate. Railings can be sprayed.

For wood composites, Giacobbe suggests a latex stain.

Quick fixes

If your deck looks good but needs structural repairs, act now. Replacing a damaged board or re-nailing a loose plank provides better protection against more warping or cracking, said Weyerhaeuser deck experts.

Nails used in deck construction tend to loosen over time. Hammering them back in is a stop-gap solution.

Pull out the loose nails and replace them with deck screws that lock in tighter. Longer decking nails will do the trick, too.

Uneven, warped boards also should be replaced to avoid pooling of moisture and safety issues.

Bug out

To handle pests that dine on wood, such as termites and carpenter ants, the best line of defense begins with building.

“The best resistance against insects is using pressure-treated lumber or natural cedar,” said Matt Becker, department supervisor at the Downers Grove Home Depot. “Cedar has an inherent composition or chemical that resists bugs."

If you did not start with pesticide-treated lumber, you should not use bug spray.
Once wood is infested, remove quickly. The broken-down areas will welcome more pests, plus take in rain.

While working with pesticide-treated wood, take care to wear gloves and a mask to avoid poisoned splinters and sawdust.